Trinity Western won case in B.C. where appeal court overturned refusal by law society to accredit graduates

The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear two appeals involving a British Columbia Christian university’s efforts to have future graduates from its proposed law school accredited as lawyers.

The cases pit religious freedom against gay and lesbian rights.

The dispute stems from Trinity Western University’s so-called community covenant, which bans sexual intimacy outside of heterosexual marriage and which critics say discriminates against people in the LGBTQ community who are looking to enter the legal profession.

The university won in British Columbia, where an appeal court overturned a law society refusal to accredit its graduates, but lost in Ontario, where the law society refused accreditation.

The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society lost twice in court against Trinity Western and has said it doesn’t plan to appeal.

As usual, the Supreme Court gave no reasons for deciding to hear the cases.